PTO Meeting Minutes
October 14th, 2010 from 6-7pm
In attendance: Gopi Prema, Yadu, Param, Adi Gopi, Kulavira, Jvalamukhi, Jahnava, Mahatma, Bhagavan, Nitai Lila, Sarala, Satyaki, Padmaksi, Malati, Radhika, Vrindavanesvari, and Visvambhara.
The first PTO meeting of the school year was well attended and very productive. I would especially like to extend a warm welcome to first time attendees and new parents at Bhaktivedanta Academy - Nitai Lila and Sarala.
Below is an outline of the topics discussed at the meeting:
- Gave brief introduction to the function of the PTO and addressed some of our past successes
- Invited parents to give input for what they want from and for the PTO this year. Responses included:
- Inter-family relationship building activities throughout the school year
- Student production for parents and families, organized by the students themselves (especially by Madhurya and Audarya)
- Pajama-party brunch for kids for fun
- Halloween booth or get together - Jahnava will e-mail Visvambhara with her ideas, and parents will be sent info
- Student slokas: Bhagavan mentioned how it would be useful for the slokas that the children in Audarya and Madhurya Bhavan practice prior to the Friday Srimad Bhagavatam class be sent home so that parents may help their children learn the verse
- More school outings:
- Museum visits, especially art museum
- Visiting Mother Rucira and Adikarta Prabhu's farm/cows (newborn cow/milking)
- Vrinda mentioned how the school will be collecting money to give as a donation to buy a new trough for the cows at NRR
- Students helping maintain the garden at the women's ashram
- School-sponsored Sunday Feast
- Cooking/sponsoring prasadam
- Children leading singing, etc
- Harvest Festival 10/28 11am-2pm. Need assistance! Current volunteers include:
- Jvalamukhi, Bhagavan, Radhika (maybe), Param, Nitai Lila
- KD and Kanch (cookies!) were both brought up as possible people who would be interested in helping
- Govardhana Puja performance. Need help with:
- Make-up - parents are expected to send children dressed for the performance at the given time. Jvalamukhi will help put on make-up for Krishna, Balarama, Indra, and any other lead characters
- Supervision During Rehearsal - Please contact school/Mother Satyaki if you are interested in helping with this
- Costumes - sorting out costumes for students to wear (Gopi Prema)
- Props - NEED NEW GOVARDHANA HILL! - who can help??
- Group harinam and SF Lunch
- First Friday of every month (starting November) families are invited to come on Harinam
- Discussed the fact that we are representing Srila Prabhupada's movement and that children should look and behave appropriately - this means that parents need to: dress children nicely, with tidy hair, neat clothing, and tilak; supervise their children while on harinam; and talk to them about what behavior is expected from them beforehand
- SF lunch:
- Talked about older students going in small groups to experience assisting with this - need to set up with Mother Akuti
- Holiday sales items
- Will do our usual Holiday Fundraiser, selling Russian teacakes and chocolate fudge
- Will also be selling new items. They are organic and fair trade, and are sold at a 40% profit for the school (examples shown were: hot chocolate powder, dried cranberries). Great low-effort, low-risk way to raise funds.
- Family Days
- A day every Winter and Spring when there is an organized event for all BANA families to attend
- It will be added into the school calendar
- It is an opportunity to meet and develop relationships with one another, building a stronger school community
- After school program feedback
- Swati Mahalaxmi - a professional Indian classical dancer performing Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi and a singer performing in Carnatic and Hindustani. She possesses a Master's degree in Ancient Indian History and can fluenty read, write, and speak English, Sanskrit, and Hindi.
- All parents in attendance were thrilled at the prospect of Swati Mahalaxmi coming to BANA to teach Sanskrit, Music, and Dance afterschool
- Click here to read a description of the program and to answer a brief survey
Thank you very much to all of those in attendance, and for the wonderful prasadam that we were all able to share after the meeting! For those of you who couldn't make it we hope to see you at the next meeting, which will be held within the next 2-3 weeks. The main topic will be the Holiday Fundraiser. Please remember that the PTO is for all parents, and your involvement is greatly beneficial for your children and the school!
Padmaksi Sutherland
PTO Chairperson
Monday, November 1, 2010 at 3:39PM 